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The industry has continued moving towards digital distribution
Nintendo’s late President and CEO Satoru Iwata predicted in 2009 that the video game industry would gradually move towards digital distribution, but not as quickly as many expected. 17 years later, following Sony ‘s reported decision to stop producing physical PlayStation 5 game discs from 2028, many players have revisited those remarks, noting that the industry’s transition has closely followed the timeline he outlined. In 2026, Rockstar Games announced that the game would go digital-only. Sony also announced that it will stop producing PlayStation 5 discs starting in 2028. Iwata served as Nintendo’s president from 2002 until his passing in 2015. His 2009 comments continue to be cited as the gaming industry gradually shifts from physical media to digital distribution, while physical formats remain available in parts of the market.
Xbox has not announced plans to discontinue physical discs, although some recent Xbox releases have shipped with little or no game data stored on the disc itself. Grand Theft Auto VI will be digital only. This means that there will be no physical copies of the game, and only digital versions will be available. physical games have not disappeared entirely While these developments align with the long-term timeline Iwata described. Reports have also suggested that Microsoft’s rumoured Project Helix hardware may not include a disc drive.